"Apple just posted its hotly-anticipated Q2 2013 earnings, and the company posted a profit of $9.5b on revenues of $43.6b, compared to $11.6b in profit on $39.2b in revenue this quarter last year and $13.1b in profit on $54.5b in revenue last quarter. That's right in line with the company's guidance from last quarter. Most importantly, iPhone sales are fairly flat year-over-year. Apple sold 37.04 million in Q2 2013 versus last year's 35.1 million, a modest growth of seven percent. iPad sales for the quarter were 19.5 million, up a massive 65 percent from last year's 11.8 million, but the average selling price (ASP) dropped fairly steeply year-over-year, likely due to the introduction of the cheaper iPad mini."

Apple needs a breakthrough product every year, music bands need a hit every month, a sports team that loses 2 in a row needs an mayor overhaul.

It seems every day we have reports, financial ones, sales figures, etc... and they spell either doom or glory for a number of companies.

If Apple sells less iPhones than yesterday they are doomed, Steve Jobs can´t be replaced, bugdet/bigger iPhone needed, fire Tim Cook, etc... when they sell a few iPhones more the next day they are briliant, it was their plan all along, untouchable.

Yeah, because "impatience" is something completely new to the human condition. Perhaps the problem has more to do with basic lack of comprehension, by some, of how public corporations are supposed to work under a capitalistic system (hints: growth and return on stockholder investment)

Lack of comprehension is certainly a factor. Even a lot of tech people seem to think Apple brought out new products every year or so.

Perhaps impatience doesn't truly cover what I mean. Probably it's more a wanting for something new and when this isn't delivered fast enough the end of the world is near.

My guess is that because the world has become so small because of the Internet (news travels very fast from all corners of the planet) you get to read about new stuff every day, every hour. So when Apple doesn't come with something new a lot of other companies do, giving you the feeling Apple is standing still.